Home Insurance

FINDING THE BEST HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, CONDO/RENTERS, VACANT, UMBRELLA

(Protecting your home easily and affordably)

Your home isn’t just a structure made of beams and walls — It’s your happy place, and it deserves to be protected.

We carry the burden of searching high and low and won’t stop until we find the homeowners coverage that will keep your carefree sanctuary secure.

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

To put it simply, homeowners insurance is designed to repair, replace or recover the value of what you currently have (under coverage) if it’s damaged due to any number of causes.

Types of Claims and Cause of Damage

Property Damage – This is by far the biggest claim maker, which includes damage to your house and any structures on your property due to water, fire and severe storms among others.
Natural Disasters – Homewreckers like floods and earthquakes are usually not covered by basic plans, meaning, you’ll need added coverage or a separate policy to keep your goodies protected.
Standard Home Liability – This will cover you financially if someone is injured or their personal belongings are damaged while on your property.
Extra Money for Living – If your house is too messed up to live in while it’s being repaired or rebuilt, most policies will pay for a hotel and other living expenses, like groceries.
Personal Property Coverage (AKA your stuff) – This will depend on the policy. Items like furniture may only be covered up to a depreciated value, but stuff like your bling might not have any coverage and will need additional insurance.

Is Homeowners Insurance Mandatory?

Homeowners insurance isn’t required by law, but most lenders will be sticklers and will require a policy in order to give you a loan. At a minimum, they’ll want your policy to cover or exceed the amount you owe on the loan.

What's So Great About an Independent Insurance Agent?

It’s simple. Literally. Independent insurance agents simplify the process by shopping and comparing home insurance quotes for you. Not only that, they’ll cut the jargon and clarify the fine print so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Percent of People Who Understand Their Insurance Coverage

Percentage of Homeowners Who Are Under-insured

Plus, independent insurance agents work for YOU and not one insurance provider. Actually, they’re the only agents who can check policies from multiple carriers to find the right coverage at the best price.

Most importantly, we will be there to help you when claim time comes. The outcome of home insurance claims can be strongly impacted by how the process is approached and handled.

How to Make Sure You're Adequately Covered

Many homeowners think they’re fully covered. Unfortunately, they’re not, and figuring this out when it’s claim time can be infuriating. Finding the right coverage depends on a number of things, from crime rates to wildfires in your area. Here are several hacks to help you

Three Home Insurance Hacks

Add an umbrella policy to increase coverage by up to $1 million or more.
Protect higher-value items like jewelry and art through “riders” or “endorsements.”
Get replacement cost home insurance instead of “actual cash value,” which only covers the current depreciated value.

How Much Does Home Insurance Cost?

Check out How Much Homeowners Insurance Varies by State:

Where Are All the Home Insurance Discounts Hiding? To start, combining policies and raising your deductible are two easy ways to drive down cost. You can also get lower rates and discounts if you reduce the risk of theft and damage by installing fire sprinklers, smoke alarms and security systems.

Percentage of Homeowners Who Are Under-insured

CONDO/RENTERS INSURANCE

Condo owners are not just responsible for their individual unit and personal belongings but also a fraction of common elements, condo insurance is designed to cover all these aspects. Condo owners also need protection for friends, family, and other guests who may visit their home, which means having legal or liability coverage.

The more complex your condo and your individual responsibilities are, the more coverage you may need. But here are the three major coverage areas included in standard condo insurance policies available:

Dwelling coverage: This condo insurance aspect covers your unit’s structural components like the walls, ceilings, and floors.
Personal property coverage: This covers your personal belongings like furniture, clothing, electronics, knickknacks, silverware, etc., that are stored within the unit from perils such as fire or theft. This aspect of coverage also protects the building elements you’re responsible for such as toilets, showers, flooring, etc.
Liability coverage: This covers legal expenses, such as attorney and court fees, in the event you are sued for bodily injury or property damage to a third party. Settlements you’re ordered to pay if you lose the case are covered as well. Coverage extends to all members of the family living within the condo, including pets.

Renter’s insurance (also called tenants insurance) helps cover the cost of replacing your belongings in the event of a loss after a deductible. The loss could be damage to your building that destroys your possessions or results from a break-in. Ask one of our agents to what is covered so you know what types of damage are included in your policy.

Policies also have some liability insurance. This type of coverage offers you protection if someone is injured in your apartment.

While you don’t want to be a pessimist as you move into your new apartment, planning for these tragic, unforeseen circumstances is essential to preparing for your financial stability.

FLOOD AND VACANT HOME INSURANCE

Flood insurance policies are similar to homeowners insurance policies in the sense that they exist to protect both your home and your stuff. The difference is that it’s there to cushion the financial blow should your property become flooded by a natural water source (and no, a badly clogged toilet doesn’t count).

Flood insurance will specifically cover:

Damage to/loss of your home: Including the foundation of the structure, electrical systems, indoor plumbing, built-in appliances and additional flooring installed – such as carpeting.

Damage to/loss of your stuff: Including furniture (built-in and free-standing), smaller/not built-in appliances, some food, valuables and clothing.

*Any depreciation of your property’s value will be factored into what the insurance policy pays towards reimbursement for damages.

Well, for peace of mind, for starters. Floods cause millions of dollars in damage each year. And they are the most common natural disaster in the US. Water damage is also pricey. As little as one inch of water in a home can cost as much as $21,000. Having coverage could mean the difference between financial devastation and being able to rest easy, should a storm hit your area.

Vacant home insurance is available for houses that will be unoccupied for an extended period of time, including:

Houses vacant for a minimum of 3 months and up to 36 months
Unoccupied homes on the market
Homes in foreclosure
Vacant homes under renovation

Some companies offer insurance for vacant homes as an addendum to an existing homeowner’s policy. Other insurance companies are hesitant to provide coverage to vacant homes due to the many risks they face, so you may need to shop around for specialty coverage.

A vacant home policy may have time limits and other stipulations, so it’s important to do your research and or consult one of our agents.

UMBRELLA INSURANCE

The umbrella is a shield to protect an individual from having to tap into savings or sell assets to pay a judgment or claim. The umbrella policy keeps the hands of the claimant from the personal, family and business assets of the negligent person.

Intoxicated drivers leaving a party at your home, dog bites, and the neighbor kid falling off the trampoline– these incidents can cause financial losses. Even lending a friend a ski house or lake house for the weekend can create a claim. A tree in your yard that blows over in a storm and crushes the neighbor’s car is another example. A home-based business that requires visitors to come to your house may create a loss that’s excluded from homeowner’s coverage.

But all these incidents may cause bodily injury, personal injury and loss of wages. These losses might exceed (or be excluded from) primary insurance limits and coverages.

Who should consider an umbrella policy? Most homeowners should consider an umbrella, but especially those active in community affairs. Serving in civic, charitable, and religious organizations can lead to conflicts, claims, and even lawsuits. Even if a lawsuit is thrown out of court, you still must defend yourself. Umbrella liability coverage picks up these costs, whether or not a person is actually found to be liable. Defense costs generally are covered in addition to the liability limits of the umbrella policy.

Conversely, a person might face a damaging situation such as a false arrest or imprisonment, defamation, invasion of privacy, wrongful entry, eviction or malicious prosecution. Most will want to defend themselves, but will face legal and other costs to do so. Homeowner’s coverage won’t cover it; an umbrella policy can

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